The rich histories of Roseville, Hull, Shawnee, and Weller pottery all arose from the same time period, and from the same farming community; eventually centering around the city of Zanesville, Ohio (earning the title of "The Clay City"). It is from that time and place, that we have attempted to preserve some of that American pottery history in our collection.

Historians tell us that it all began in the early 19th century, when rich veins of clay were observed to erupt through the topsoil in Muskingum County, Ohio. In crude sheds with the most primitive tools, farmers turned and fired their wares, soon resulting in a market that grew during the winter months.These farmers-turned-potters had begun to realize the abundance of raw materials necessary for the making of pottery...dense clay beds, and a plentiful supply of natural gas and coal.The news of the superior quality of the Ohio clays became widespread as testing revealed them to be among the purest in the entire country.

It was during the late 1800's, that interest in hand painted china began to flourish amongst the young ladies of high society. As interest continued, the art of ceramic decorating was no longer considered a mere pastime, but had developed into a fledging art industry. From its heritage emerged native potters possessing the extraordinary skills that resulted from long and diligent dedication to their craft. Some of the more pronounced artworks and pottery of our country's history had emerged, and lasted until the post World War II time period. It was then that the creation of those timely pieces of artworks had come to a close due to the Stock Market Crash of 1929, the decline of the U.S. economy, and a growing overseas market. Pottery production was continued by some, but never of the same hand-painted high quality and uniqueness of that time.